Lionel Messi (pictured right) has lost the #1 spot in the FTBL world ranking of midfielders after Barcelona’s less-than-convincing display of late. He has even allowed current No 1 Frank Lampard (pictured left) to extend his lead to more than 35 points. When and how fast can the Argentine prodigy re-claim the title of best midfielder in the world?

Messi is very likely to return to the top soon enough: he will need to beat a plank of just 44 points in his next 4 games, while Lampard will have a more daunting task of clearing a bar of more than 60 points. Consequently, if the two are tied on results, Messi is more likely to take the lead by early December.

A more exact prediction is hard to make at the moment given the fact that Barcelona and Chelsea are now, maybe, entering one of the trickiest stages in the new season: the Catalans will take on Inter Milan and Real Madrid in succession, while the Blues have Manchester United and Arsenal. That is sure to add excitement to the battle for the leadership.